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More Crews Heading To Shenandoah National Park To Battle Fire

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Smoke from the Rocky Mount Fire prompted a decision Sunday evening to close a portion of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park/NPS

Firefighters from as far away as New Mexico were heading to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia on Monday to help battle a backcountry fire that led to the temporary closure of a short stretch of Skyline Drive as well as a portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

An updated acreage estimate was not available Monday morning for the Rocky Mount Fire, which had covered roughly 500 acres Sunday night. An overflight was scheduled to update that figure, however.

While the Skyline Drive was closed between Swift Run Gap (mile 65, Skyline Drive) south to Loft Mountain (mile 79) due to smoky conditions Sunday evening, officials were evaluating whether that closure could be lifted. Also still closed to the public was the Appalachian Trail from Simmons Gap (mile 73) south to Ivy Creek Overlook (mile 77), and the Pinefield Hut (mile 75).

Other trails closed by the fire were the Onemile Trail, Gap Run Trail, and Rocky Mount Trail.

Unrelated to the fire, several other trails -- the Limberlost Trail, Cedar Run, Cedar Run link trail, and the Crescent Rock Trail -- also were closed in the national park due to the search for a missing person.

The Rocky Mount Fire was spotted Saturday in Shenandoah's south district. It was believed to have been human-caused, though an exact cause has not yet been determined. Firefighters from outside the park were starting to reach Shenandoah on Monday to contribute to the firefighting effort.

“We’re getting a lot more people, from the Virginia Department of Forestry, Rockingham County Fire and Rescue. A team of Augusta County hot shots are coming in this afternoon," said park spokeswoman Sally Hurlbert. "We’ve also called in two hotshot crews from New Mexico, who are coming in tomorrow.”

While the fire is burning in a wilderness area in the park and not threatening visitors or structures, the smoke it was sending up was impacting visitors trying to enjoy National Park Week at Shenandoah.

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